Vigen Sargsyan

Vigen Sargsyan was born on 10 May 1975 in Yerevan. From 1992-1999 he enrolled in Yerevan State University and studied at the department of International Relations and has a master's degree in the "History of Diplomacy and International Relations".[1] In 2000 he graduated from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University with a Master of Arts degree.

In 1995 the Speaker of National Assembly Babken Ararktsyan appointed him as an adviser. After returning from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Sargsyan served in the Armenian Armed Forces in 2000-2003 as assistant to the Minister of Defense, then Serzh Sargsyan. He was an adjunct lecturer from 2001 - 2011 at the American University of Armenia. After finishing military service in 2003, Sargsyan started working at the Office to the President as Assistant to second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, with portfolio in foreign and national security policy, as well as Diaspora affairs.[8] When Serzh Sargsyan was sworn in as President in April 2008, Vigen Sargsyan (no relation) was offered to stay and continued public service. On 27 January 2009, the then President Serzh Sargsyan promoted him to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office to the President,[9] ad after two years, in October 2011, Sargsyan became Chief of Staff at Serzh Sargsyan's Administration.[10] In October 2016 Vigen Sargsyan was promoted to the Cabinet as Defense Minister where he served till the government change in May 2018. Sargsyan led the Republican Party’s proportional list in the 2018 December snap parliamentary elections, as well as 2017 May elections.[11][12]

Sargsyan with President of Greece Prokopis Pavlopoulos in December 2016.

On 3 October 2016 Sargsyan was promoted by President Serzh Sargsyan to Cabinet-level position to serve as Minister of Defense, succeeding Seyran Ohanyan. He was reappointed Defense Minister by President Armen Sarkissian in 2018.[13][14] Sargsyan resigned on 8 May 2018 following the election of Nikol Pashinyan as the Prime Minister of Armenia.[15][16] He served as acting Defence Minister until 12 May when David Tonoyan was appointed to the position.[17][18]